Just because you’re gluten-free doesn’t mean you want to give up stuff like bread, cookies, and other baked yumminess. And you don’t have to! The trick is figuring out the best combination of ingredients, techniques, and creativity to make your gluten-free baking even better than that o regular stuff. Here are 10 tips to get you started!
1. Don’t Just Substitute
Flickr user Andrea_Nguyen
You might be tempted to just take a regular recipe and swap in gluten-free flour for the regular flour and call it a day. Resist! There are other smaller tweaks that often go along with making a successful gluten-free baked good, so simply switching out the flour probably won’t get you the result you want.
2. Go Bigger On Wet Ingredients
Flickr user Steve A Johnson
Adding more of the wet ingredients like butter and eggs will help keep the batter or dough together - and more eggs will help make things rise.
3. Mix Everything In One Bowl
Flickr user Didriks
You’ve probably done the “mix dry ingredients, then mix wet ingredients, then combine” thing.
4. Two (Or Three) Flours Are Better Than One
Flickr user Andrea_Nguyen
Instead of just using one type of flour in your recipe, use a blend of two or three. You’ll get a more versatile taste and texture with different flours, that more mimics the one-size-fits-all nature of regular all-purpose flour. Check out our recipe for a gluten-free flour that works with just about anything!
5. Low and Slow
Flickr user mrsdkrebs
Err on the cautious side when you put gluten-free batter in the oven - keep the temperature about 25 degrees lower than you would with a normal recipe. That means you’ll have to bake it a bit longer, but you’ll be glad you did later when it comes out NOT overcooked.
6. Go Metric
Flickr user Didriks
This one takes a little more work, but another tip that will pay off. Measure out ingredients for gluten-free recipes by ounces and grams instead of cups. Pulling off spectacular gluten-free baking takes accuracy, and using metric measuring will ensure that. And this is especially important when it comes to flour, since different gluten-free flours have different weights.
7. Go For The Gum
Flickr user star5112
Gluten, while not crucial to delicious baked goods, is responsible for that elastic, sticky quality that everyone knows and loves. Enter xanthan gum. This stuff lends that same texture while keeping your baked goods completely gluten-free. So don’t skip it!
8. Don’t Stir By Hand
Flickr user neil conway
You want to help your gluten-free baked goods rise as much as possible, and mixing by hand doesn’t create many air bubbles in the batter or dough. Use an electric mixer to encourage those brownies, muffins or what have you to poof up! And speaking of keeping things on the up and up…
9. Don’t Skimp On The Baking Powder
Flickr user Mel B.
Double the baking powder. Just do it. And if the recipe calls for baking soda, use baking powder instead. You’ll thank me later.
10. Don’t Be Afraid To Experiment
Flickr user Jodimichelle
Here’s the hard truth: gluten-free baking is not a science. Sometimes you’ll plan out a recipe to the last detail and it will turn out horrible. That’s okay! It’s all about finding the right balance to create the taste you love. So don’t take it so seriously. Just have fun with it!
What other gluten-free baking tips do you swear by? Tell us in the comments below!
